Advocacy Agenda

New York State is seen as uncompetitive for business because of comparatively high taxes and mandates. Certain reforms have been implemented to ease the burden, but there is much more to be done. Greater Rochester Chamber:

1. Supports paying down NY’s more than $8 billion in outstanding Unemployment Insurance debt that has led to costly surcharges for employers during already difficult financial times
2. Supports tax rate decreases on small businesses
3. Supports a common-sense phase in of environmental sustainability efforts while ensuring the interest of small business is kept at the forefront of dialogue and debate

Among the most pressing issues facing our businesses is having a pipeline of qualified, skilled workers to fill jobs. Funding for education, improved coordination, and targeted investment in talent management will be invaluable toward making progress. Greater Rochester Chamber is proud to be the regional lead for this effort. Greater Rochester Chamber:

1. Supports deploying already authorized workforce development funding to close the gap in preparing individuals for jobs in high need sectors
2. Supports efforts that create greater alignment between job creators and job seekers including Governor Hochul’s proposed public-private funding partnerships that would create new internship opportunities for students
3. Supports expanding tax reforms for New York’s manufacturers to allow for job creation
4. Supports efforts to employ Greater Rochester’s very capable disabled community
5. Supports additional investment for TAP, Bundy Aid, HECap, and STEAM funding
6. Supports maintaining a funding floor for community colleges at 100% of prior year
7. Supports further investment in P-TECH
8. Supports the Finger Lakes region as a test site for new workforce development projects
9. Will continue our work to increase collaboration with regional colleges and universities to help foster communication between employers and talent
10. Supports professional licensing for immigrants

Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to promote economic prosperity throughout the Finger Lakes region. Particularly in the wake of COVID-19 we must recommit to promoting increased collaboration among government entities and support streamlined processes to make the region more competitive. Greater Rochester Chamber:

1. Supports the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council Priorities: (1) Promote Economic Justice; (2) Grow Jobs; (3) Increase Regional Wealth; (4) Drive Private Investment; and (5) Reduce Poverty
2. Supports policies that will decrease crime, deter re-offenders, and instill confidence in the business community that our Urban Core is ripe for investment
3. Supports reinvestment for the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative
4. Supports reinvestment for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative
5. Supports the growth, creation, and promotion of MWBE’s and the empowerment of regional offices to streamline the certification process
6. Supports New York/Canada economic corridor
7. Supports policies that reduce the amount of time it takes for NY to deliver on grants

Healthcare providers and systems in New York are in crisis. Due to years of under reimbursement from NYS, targeted cuts, and costly mandates, our vital healthcare providers are experiencing staggering staffing shortages, are dealing with a predatory traveling nurse system, and have capacity and resource issues that have already resulted in decreased services that communities in New York rely on. If NYS fails to act and support healthcare providers, those who will be penalized are our community members. Because of this, the Greater Rochester Chamber:

1. Supports keeping the 340B prescription drug discount program within Medicaid Managed Care (MMC) instead of moving to aa fee-for-service model
2. Supports a 20% increase to the Medicaid reimbursement rate which has remained stagnant for almost 15 years
3. Supports measures to change traveling nurse company rules that are currently taking advantage of the healthcare crisis for their own financial benefit
4. Supports updating nursing home rebasing which is currently based on 2007 costs
5. Supports making private, not-for-profit higher education institutions and their students, as well as all academic medical centers in NYS, eligible for workforce recruiting programs such as the “Nurses for our Future Scholarship”
6. Supports providing quality insurance coverage to the less than 5% of New Yorker’s who are uninsured/underinsured rather than replacing our current healthcare system with a costly state-run system.
7. Supports reducing the taxes, surcharges, and assessments imposed on employers and individuals who purchase health insurance (including the premium tax and HCRA)

Growing the Finger Lakes region economy requires investment in transportation, energy, technology, and infrastructure. Promoting sustainable business practices plays a significant role in corporate social responsibility. Greater Rochester Chamber:

1. Supports efforts to expand reliable broadband and cellular service throughout all of New York State while ensuring the cost to do so does not fall squarely on providers
2. Supports a reform to Scaffold Law by replacing absolute liability with a comparative negligence standard – the same standards used in every state except New York (NY’s general liability insurance costs are highest in the nation)
3. Supports investment in renewable energy and efficiencies to move energy resources to NYS including making NY a green hydrogen hub and expanding the electric vehicle industry
4. Supports investment in funding of public transit programs which support job growth
5. Supports investment in operating support, capital assistance, and surface transportation design/repair in Upstate